Description

Dragonfly nymph – Libellulidae naiad

Pliocene

Rita Blanca Formation

Oldham County, TX USA.

Large 23mm nymph on 97mm slab.  Extremely rare.

Insect.

Libellulidae is a modern family of dragonflies that dates back to the Late Cretaceous.  Dragonflies, as a group, have a longer history extending to the Pennsylvanian Period.

Fossil specimens of both larval and adult dragonflies have been found from the Mesozoic to Cenozoic (sites in the Americas, Europe) but they tend to be uncommon – rare at some sites.  Today, larvae (naiads or nymphs) live in freshwater ponds and lakes for several years before crawling out of the water, molting, and then flying off as an adult.  Naiads feed on mosquito larvae or whatever they can catch and the adults feed on adult mosquitoes or whatever they can catch.